Eyes on the Street: More Pedestrian Space at Deadly UES Intersection

The intersection of 60th Street and Third Avenue now has a bit more space for pedestrians. Photo: Stephen Miller

Last September, 16-year-old Renee Thompson was struck and killed by a turning truck driver at the intersection of Third Avenue and 60th Street. Now, the crowded intersection has painted curb extensions on two of the intersection’s four corners that shorten crossing distances and tighten turns.

A DOT proposal in January to Community Board 8 had them on the west side of the intersection, but the curb extensions were striped on the northwest and southeast corners of the intersection last week. Pedestrians could use the extra space: Sidewalks in the area are narrowed by subway entrances, tree pits, and enclosed sidewalk cafes.

Two blocks to the east, the neighborhood received another improvement with the final touches on the two-way bike path on First Avenue beneath the Queensboro Bridge. The concrete barrier separating cyclists from pedestrians was painted last month in a pattern mirroring the tiling on the bridge’s archways above.

The two-way bike path on FIrst Avenue between 59th and 60th Streets now has a concrete barrier to match its tiled, arched ceiling. Photo: Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller is a reporter for Streetsblog NYC. He has been covering the movement for safer streets, effective transit, and livable cities since 2012.

I call this A. Scott Falk Corner after the Community Board member who made it happen!

Daphna

I noticed the painted sidewalk extension on the northwest corner today. Pedestrians were using it! It looked great. (It’s not the one pictured.) I would like so many more intersections to get some daylighting (removing one parking spot closest to the crosswalk) and painted sidewalk extensions.

Emmily_Litella

That’s Gustavino tile under that there bridge.

Tyler

In 6 months, take a look at the concrete barrier and tell me these physical separations aren’t necessary…. I bet it will be scarred by many a car/truck scraping into it.

Tyler

by the way, snazzy design.

CheapSkate

The problem with the pedestrian walkway is that it looks a lot like a bike lane. If the sidewalk isn’t wide enough for pedestrian traffic then maybe it would’ve made more sense to simply revoke the permit for that very permanent looking sidewalk cafe.